The Final Oregon Bucket Listing – Greatest Issues to Do in Oregon

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We’re currently homeless! Well, sort of. We’re spending time with some friends and family in Atlanta while transitioning between Portland and NYC. We just put our application in for an apartment!

When we lived in Portland, we wanted to use it as a home base to explore all of the PNW. It turned out that there was so much to see in Oregon, that we spent most our time in the state. We still left so much unexplored! That just means we have plenty to look forward to when we go back to visit.

There were over a thousand places in Oregon we wanted to explore, including all the waterfalls, state parks, mountains, lakes, breweries, etc. For the sake of making this post easier to digest, this is condensed list of 101 things to do divided by region. You can click the links for more info on each destination or region.

Last Updated: Aug 18, 2017

THE ULTIMATE OREGON BUCKET LIST

GREATER PORTLAND

☒ International Rose Test Garden (best to visit in June)

☒ Pittock Mansion, Portland – best view of the city IMO

☒ Powell’s Books

☒ Tom McCall Waterfront Park (for Cherry Blossom season)

☒ Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival (Mar-May)

We didn’t put as much from Portland because we think the best part of Oregon is the outdoors. If it’s not your first visit to the city, you can check out our 101 list of things to do in pdx.

THE GORGE (COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE)

☒ Drive the Historic Columbia River Highway – 22 miles of waterfalls and lush forests

☒ Angels Rest

☒ Elowah Falls Hike + Continue to Munra Point Hike

☐ Eagle Creek Trail

☒ Latourell Falls

☒ Oneonta Gorge + Triple Falls Hike

☒ Multnomah Falls – really crowded with tourists but still worth one visit.

☒ Rowena Crest Viewpoint + Hikes

☒ Tom McCall Point Hike / Rowena Crest Trailhead

☒ Vista House

☒ Wahclella Falls

☒ Dog Mountain Hike, Washington side (best in spring)

NOTE: Most of the Gorge is closed due to the Eagle Creek Fire damage. The exits off the highway are all closed. They are hoping to reopen in the Spring of 2018.

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Each region has very different climates and road conditions. Be sure to do some research to find the best times to visit each area. In high elevations, roads may be closed until late summer. Certain parts of the state are more developed than others. Check road conditions to see if you need a four-wheel drive and high clearance vehicle. In Eastern Oregon, for example, you will run into more dirt/gravel roads.

Waterfalls are gushing in the winter, but you also get the rainiest weather. If you go in early summer you can get decent weather and the waterfalls aren’t dried up to a trickle compared to late summer.

We always recommend being prepared with layers (especially a rain jacket) and waterproof shoes that give you support (HERS + HIS).

Pick up an Oregon State Park Pass, NW Forest Pass, America the Beautiful Pass to save money when visiting all the parks.

Our go-to camera set up: Canon 5D Mark III + 35mm + 70-200mm

DID YOU ENJOY THE POST? PIN IT FOR LATER

Have you visited Oregon? What’s at the top of your list?

SEE MORE BUCKET LISTS

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THE ULTIMATE NYC BUCKET LIST

NORTH DAKOTA BUCKET LIST

101 THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN TX

400+ NATIONAL PARK SYSTEMS IN THE US

“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust

ESTHER + JACOB

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They move to a new city every year and currently live in Portland, Oregon.

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